Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-09-08

laH SESSION. p IL
Previous to the Revolution there'were
four wars known as Inter-Colonial war:
King Williams, Queen Anne's King
Georges and the French-and-In Indian
wars. or these, the first three originat-
ed in hostilities commenced in Europe
between the two Governments: the last
Oh ginated in America in disputes con-
cerning territorial claims, and eventual
ly- resulted in establishing the supre-
macy Of the English in America over
the French. The English in this coun-
try numbered perhaps million at this
time, but the French were perhaps not
more than a hundred thousand strong,
THE FIRST FRENCH IN OHIO.
To Knapp's History of the Maumee
Valley" are we indebted for the follow.
ing dates, which are Of interest in con-
sidering the French occupation of the
land:
"The first efforts made by Europeans,
or their descendants, to settle the Ter
ritory now forming the jurisdiction OF
Ohio, were undertaken by the French,
In the Maumee Valley. in the year $50.
:. The enterprising and fearless
discoverer, La Sale, erected in the
autumn of the year mentioned stock
ade at the confidence of the st. Mary's
and st. JOseph's rivers, on the ground
now occupied by Ft. Wayne.
Frontenac, who was q man of great
energy and spirit, sent out number of
trading parties, with authority to erect
stores or posts and to take possession of
all the country visited in the name of
the Government of France.
zone of these parties found its way
to the Miami or rather Maumee river
and In 1850 built a small stockade lust
below the site of Maumee CITY. This
was an important trading point for
several years, and in 1894 was under the
command of Sieur Courthemance; but
it was finally abandoned for a more
eligible location at the head of the
Maumee river, near where the city of
Ft. Wayne, Indiana, now stands. On
the very spot where the fort of Maumee
stood, the British, in 1894, erected Ft
Miami. (Thls statement is made upon
the authority of the late A. II. Good
man, recent Secretary of the Western
Reserve and Northern Ohio Historical
Society, who obtained the date upon
which it is based from French records
at Montreal and Quebec, and papers at
Albany and Harrisburg). Hence the
occupation of the Maumee valley ante
dated that sought to be established on
the Detroit: the first effort at French
settlement being made on the last
named river in 1888.
"In 1896, Captain Nicholas Perrot
built a trading station at the west end
Of Lake Erie. This continued for
two years when the Miamis plundered
the place, seized Perrot, and were on
the point of roasting him alive when
he was saved by the Outgames. :.
We find the Governor of Canada COM
planning that the Iroquois roasted all
the French prisoners that came into
their hands.n
THE ADVENT OF ENGLISH TRADERS.
"It is probable that English traders
first began to establish themselves for
permanent operations in the West in
1698-99."
During the year 100, the Iroquois,
after years of hostility, made treaty
with the French, by which their mis-
sionaries and traders We're allowed in
all parts of the West. About this time
small party of actors from Detroit
built a small post on the Maumee,
where Toledo now stands. :
"In 1903, the English invited the
Hurons and Miamis to locate near the
Seneca Indians, on Lake Erie, assuring
them Of protection against the French.
The proposition was rejected. During
the year 1705, Sieur de Joncaire visited
the Seneca Indians, and Sieur de
Vincennes the Miamis, on business of
the Governor of Carada, and found
English traders with each nation.
"In 1712, Sieur de Vincennes paid q
second visit to the Miamis. The
French port at Detroit was besieged by
the Pouteoutamis and Saguenays, who
made war on the Indian allies of the
French, massacreing nearly one thous-
ard men, women and children of the
Outgamis and Maskoutins.n
1.-THE French having obtained control
of the Ohio Indians, the English in
1716 sent agents among them with
speeches and presents,and endeavored
to form an alliance, but were unsuc-
eessful. The same year seventeen
Frenchmen were killed while on their
way from the Illinois country to Detroit.
"A 5IOChduc was UullL ny tne TEeuCH az
Vincennes, but soon abandoned.
During the year 1920, French traders
We active along the Ohio. Sieur de
Joncaire reported that he had seen a
fountain near the headwaters of the
Ohio, the water of which is like oil, and
taeted like iron.' Further north he re-
ported another fountain of the same
kind. THE savages,' he says, make
uCe of the water to appease all manner
ofpains.'
THE IRoQUoIs AND ENGLISH TREATY.
"In 1922, q treaty was made at
Albany, New York, between the Iro-
quois and English, by which the lands
west of the Allegheny mountains We're
acknowledged to belong to the Iroquois
by reason of their conquests from the
Eries, Conoys, Tongorias, etc. - -, =,
Gin 1925. Baron de Longueil was
made Governor of Canada, and soon
after reported that s'the English have
built two houses and some stores on a
small stream which flows into the
Wabash, where they trade with the
Miamis and Ouyatanons.n
"During the year 1925, the country
from the Cuyahoga in Ohio, to Oswego
in New York, was placed by the Iro-
quois under the protection of the Eng
lish. In 1929, Joshua Gee, of Lon
don, printed pamphlet urging the
plantation of English colonies invest
ern America. The. following year
Governor Keith III red upon the minis